17 Priceless Pearls of Career Wisdom From Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a lot cooler than most folks today realize, although back in his day he was wildly popular. (He was even an inadvertent trendsetter in France, starting a fad for hairstyles that resembled his fur cap.) He was the ultimate polymath, a passionate scientist, inventor, printer, writer, prankster, activist (please look into the story of Silence Dogood) and so much more. Among other things, Franklin invented bifocals, the lightning rod, and even swim fins, and we have him to thank for modern institutions we still rely upon today such as libraries, fire stations, and even daylight saving time. The contributions of this founding father are staggering, but perhaps it’s his wisdom and his sayings that have ultimately made the greatest contribution to our society.

Let’s take a look at a handful of Franklin’s pearls of wisdom that relate to career. These gems weren’t all intended to relate directly to work-life, but Benjamin Franklin had a way of framing his ideas about life in general that can be applied in so many ways. See if there isn’t something here that makes you stop and think.

1. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

2. “If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles.”

3. “Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”

4. “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

11. “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”

12. “There are lazy minds as well as lazy bodies.”

13. “No one cares what you know until they know that you care.”

14. “What you would seem to be, be really.”

15. “Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.”

16. “Diligence is the mother of good luck.”

17. “Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today.”

Benjamin Franklin’s ideas still make us stop and think today. If you’re hungry for more, check out some of his other famous quotes, look into his biography a bit more, or consider reading some of his famed Poor Richard’s Almanack. It certainly would be time well spent.

Gina Belli

Gina Belli works as a teacher, freelance writer, and educational consultant, and lives in her beloved home state, Connecticut. She likes to write about education, work-life balance, and the economy. Given her arresting capacity to over-analyze anything interpersonal, her writing often tends to focus on some of the more emotional aspects of workplace connections and disconnections, as they relate to partnerships and teams, personality and communication styles, and leadership. In her free time, she likes to putter around her renovated one-room schoolhouse home, take walks in the woods, and eat as much guacamole as she can get her hands on.